Coalition Troops Detain 11 Suspects in Iraq Operations

American Forces Press Service

Oct. 29, 2007 - Coalition forces detained 11 suspects today during operations to disrupt al Qaeda networks in central Iraq.

-- In southern Baghdad, coalition forces captured a wanted individual believed to be involved in roadside-bomb and small-arms attacks against coalition troops and Iraqi citizens. The detainee is linked to al Qaeda activities in Baghdad's Arab Jabour section and other areas. Coalition forces detained another suspect also linked to al Qaeda in Iraq.

-- Also in Baghdad, coalition forces detained two more al Qaeda-linked suspects without incident.

-- Coalition forces captured two individuals in Tarmiyah. One of the detainees is linked to Ali Latif Ibrahim Hamad al-Falahi, a former terrorist leader who coordinated car-bombing operations in Baghdad and was killed Aug. 20.

-- In another Tarmiyah operation, coalition forces detained five more suspects while targeting a terrorist believed to be responsible for local roadside- and car-bomb attacks. "We're continuing to engage terrorists who carry out brutal attacks on the Iraqi people and threaten Iraq's security," said Army Maj. Winfield Danielson, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.

-- Multinational Force Iraq officials said Arkan Hasnawi, a former brigade commander in the Jaysh al-Mahdi militia, is responsible for kidnapping Shiite and Sunni tribal leaders from Diyala province yesterday. The tribal leaders were returning to Diyala from their meeting with an Iraqi government representative when they were kidnapped. Arkan Hasnawi is linked to Iranian-supported terrorists operating in Iraq.

In operations earlier this week:

-- Coalition forces took advantage of a concerned citizen's tip to seize several rockets aimed at a coalition base east of Baghdad during an Oct. 27 raid. Four rockets were confiscated.

-- U.S. soldiers discovered two caches of ordnance during operations conducted east of Hamrin Lake on Oct. 26. The first cache contained more than 110 mortar rounds and six landmines. The second cache consisted of 15 mortar rounds and one recoilless rifle with an improvised gun mount. The contraband ordnance was destroyed. "The discovery of these supplies is vital, as it continues to limit the supply of extremist groups who continually try to disrupt the progress in Diyala," said Army Col. David W. Sutherland, commander of coalition forces in Diyala province. "The terrorists have no safe haven. We will destroy them, as well as their support base."

-- In Baghdad, two Iraqi civilians died and 22 others were injured after a two-week spate of terrorist rocket and mortar attacks that ended Oct. 26. Yet, over the same period, coalition officials said, there has been an overall reduction in insurgent-conducted violence against coalition and Iraqi security forces and civilians.

-- Coalition forces uncovered two weapons caches containing enough material to make 200 roadside bombs during a search operation in Hawr Rajab on Oct. 26. The caches were destroyed. On the same day in the same area, concerned citizens uncovered two other caches containing two makeshift roadside bombs, two rocket-propelled grenades, two 57 mm rockets filled with explosives, a 60 mm mortar round and nine 2-liter bottles of explosives. The contraband material was destroyed.

-- U.S. soldiers found a bomb-rigged rocket and detained three men suspected of insurgent activities during operations in Baghdad's Rashid district Oct. 26.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)